ADs pivotal to social care development

Assistant directors of adult social service are well placed to ensure councils remain sensitive to the needs of service users while delivering changes in social care, according to the founders of the ADASS Assistant Directors (ADs) Network.

Set up earlier this year, the network will offer practical support to ADs in the day to day running of services, and provide a forum for developing new ways of thinking and operating.

Network founders, assistant directors Peter Davies of Walsall Borough Council , Tony Ivko from Wolverhampton City Council, and Brendan Clifford from Dudley Borough Council, give their views on managing demands, expectations and reforming services in the rapidly changing world of health and social care.  

Peter Davies:

“Our responsibility is to know the business of adult social care well, and to fully understand the needs of our customers, patients, carers and partners. It’s important that we remain on top of current issues and be innovative in how we deal with them, particularly in the existing economic climate. 

We need to share experiences as well as our knowledge of the customer journey, and how to achieve specific results; for instance, I recently phoned a colleague in Wolverhampton to exchange views on working more effectively with external consultants.

The focus on improving the quality of services with ever decreasing resources means the network has a role in defining what ‘quality’ means for the different areas and authorities in the region, and supporting ways of working together.  I’ve a particular interest in the quality of nursing in care homes and have been involved in improving standards locally.  An issue arose when neighbouring boroughs began placing their residents in our up-graded homes; the challenge for us was to ensure equitable financial contributions from our neighbours to the improvements and up keep of our homes.

I think adult social care is one of the pivotal areas of service provision in councils. The depth of our experience built up over the last few years in transforming services, makes us well placed to ensure that reform in any area of council services remains sensitive to the needs of service users.”

Tony Ivko:

“I think the silos between different public sector organisations will have to break down as we won’t have anything near the amount of resources needed to meet increasing demands, or for us to deliver services on our own effectively. 

We will need to pool resources, knowledge and expertise, and focus on early intervention.  To do this, it’s important for us to understand the path taken by individuals before they became dependent on services. If we take for example, someone who is overweight, has limited mobility and receives health and care service, a discussion with their GP might reveal that life changed for the individual when they stopped walking in the park and getting exercise after their dog had died.  This simple explanation opens up new possibilities for helping the service user in a different way.

If we keep on doing what we’ve done in the past, we’ll end up with the same results, which in this day and age are no longer adequate.

We also have to consider how we’ll be judged and how we prove we’re making a difference to people’s lives.  We’ve been freed from the national drivers that we used to comply with, opening up new opportunities for a different type of dialogue with local people; our role is to help members engage with their electorate in a new way.

I think the network could learn from some interesting work carried out in Chicago USA on setting performance indicators that are shareholder driven.  Their starting point is to look at the advantages and resources that already exist in a locality by asking citizens “what have you got?” and “what does a good community look like?”; rejecting the traditional approach to providing services based on what communities don’t have.”

Brendan Clifford:

“It’s all about a new type of leadership and understanding that people don’t live their lives in accordance with the way public sector organisations are set up.  We need to make sure our services reflect the way people want to live, not the way we think they should. 

The network will help us to become a new type of leader who can work across the different boundaries and work with each other.  With less money available the trick is to make sure we operate at a level that allows people to make their own decisions, in a supportive environment.  Of course, we have to take risk into account, but what we need is a society where people can get the information they need to help themselves and stay out of the health and care system for as long as possible. 

There’s work to be done in further stimulating the health and social care market to ensure there are sufficient and appropriate services for people to buy. Social services never provided everything for people; friends, relatives, neighbours and support groups often provide care.  The shape of the market will depend primarily on the needs and decisions made by people seeking support.  Our role is to make sure community based solutions are available and easy to get hold of. The health and care system will be there to help people when they really need it.

We need to get the message of self-help across more effectively, as a way of managing expectations and explaining why health and social care services have to change.”

The network’s next meeting will take place on 16 December when the group’s priorities will be refined and work will start on an AD development programme.

For more details contact Matt Bowsher, Head of Adult Social Care, Communications & Strategy, Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands, mobile: 07500 944 766, email: mbowsher@westmidlandsiep.gov.uk .